Caring for her community: Justyna Brunson’s nursing journey

People of Georgian is a series that celebrates the people behind the scenes, the learners, leaders and changemakers whose journeys reflect the lasting impact of the Georgian experience. In this edition, we meet Justyna Bronson (class of 2026), a member of the first graduating cohort of Georgian College’s Honours Bachelor of Science – Nursing program.

As Georgian celebrates its newest graduates at convocation, Justyna’s story marks an important milestone for the college. She is part of the first graduating cohort of Georgian’s Honours Bachelor of Science – Nursing program, a group that was also recognized earlier this year during the program’s inaugural nursing pinning ceremony.

After more than a decade working as a speech therapy assistant while raising her children, Justyna found the right time, the right program and the right place to take the next step in her career. Through Georgian, she has been able to pursue a university-level education close to home while preparing to give back to the communities she hopes to serve.

I’ll Let Justyna take it from here.

I have always had a strong and persistent passion for health care, but my path to nursing has not been a straight line.

I grew up in Toronto and moved to Simcoe County 12 years ago. Since then, I have spent more than a decade working as a speech therapy assistant while also raising my children. Those two parts of my life, working in health care and being a mother, have shaped me in ways I carry into everything I do.

They taught me patience. They taught me how important communication is. They also showed me that empathy does not always have to be a grand gesture. Sometimes, it is the smallest act of care that makes the biggest difference.

When my final maternity leave ended, my support system was in place and Georgian College’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing program welcomed its first cohort, everything seemed to align. I realized this was my moment to take the next step.

Over time, I kept feeling drawn to nursing. I loved that it offered so many ways to support people across their lives, in different settings and during very different moments. It also offered room to keep learning, growing and challenging myself.

For a long time, though, the timing had to be right.

Finding the right time to follow my passion

When my final maternity leave ended, my support system was in place and Georgian College’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing program welcomed its first cohort, everything seemed to align. I realized this was my moment to take the next step.

Learning close to home

Choosing Georgian allowed me to pursue a university-level education while staying close to my family and my community. As a parent, that mattered more than I can fully explain.

Studying close to home has given me the flexibility to be present for my children while also fully committing to my education. It has allowed me to build a future without having to step away from the people and place that mean so much to me.

My journey to nursing has taken time, and it has been shaped by different roles, responsibilities and seasons of life. I do not see that as a setback. I see it as part of what will make me the kind of nurse I want to become.
I want to provide care that is grounded in empathy, connection and respect. I want patients and families to feel seen, heard and cared for.

The smaller class sizes at Georgian have also made a real difference. I have been able to build strong connections with faculty and feel supported as I have balanced motherhood, school and clinical learning. That support has helped me keep going during a demanding, meaningful and life-changing chapter.

Georgian has given me space to grow into this next version of myself. It has helped me see myself not only as a student, but as someone preparing to make a meaningful difference in the health of my community.

Seeing the impact of rural and community care

Some of the most meaningful parts of my time at Georgian have happened during clinical placements.

I have had the opportunity to provide care in different settings across Simcoe County, including Bayshore Home Health, Orillia Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital and Mariposa House Hospice. Each placement has helped me better understand the health-care needs that exist in smaller and rural communities.

Those experiences have stayed with me. They have shown me how important equitable and accessible health care is, especially for people and families who may already face barriers to getting the support they need.

Learning at Georgian has allowed me to connect what I am studying in the classroom with the realities of care in the communities around me. That connection has made my education feel deeply personal. I am not just learning skills for a future career. I am learning how to serve the communities I now call home.

Looking ahead

After licensure, I hope to continue working in Simcoe County and bring the experience I have gained at Georgian back to the people and places that have shaped this part of my life.

In the long term, I hope to become a nurse practitioner with a focus on palliative and end-of-life care. I want to help ensure patients and families, especially those in rural communities, receive compassionate and dignified support during some of their most vulnerable moments.

Georgian has helped make that future feel possible.

My journey to nursing has taken time, and it has been shaped by different roles, responsibilities and seasons of life. I do not see that as a setback. I see it as part of what will make me the kind of nurse I want to become.

I want to provide care that is grounded in empathy, connection and respect. I want patients and families to feel seen, heard and cared for.

Thanks to Georgian, I am building the skills, confidence and experience to do exactly that.

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